Case · United States
14-year-old on a FaceTime call walks into the street and is hit by an SUV
In August 2017, a 14-year-old girl in Abington, Pennsylvania, walked into the street while on a FaceTime call and was hit by a passing SUV. She was knocked unconscious and taken to a children's hospital.
· 1 source
- When
- August 2017 (reported Aug. 23)
- Where
- Highland Avenue near Abington High School, Abington, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Who
- 14-year-old girl
- Outcome
- Knocked unconscious, hospitalized
On Aug. 23, 2017, NBC10 Philadelphia reported that a 14-year-old girl had been hit by an SUV on Highland Avenue near Abington High School. Witnesses said she was on a FaceTime call and walked into the street directly in front of a passing car.
Witnesses told investigators the girl was using FaceTime on her phone and walked into the street directly into the path of a passing car.
— NBC10 Philadelphia (Aug. 23, 2017)
The driver couldn't stop in time. She was knocked unconscious and taken to Abington Memorial Hospital, then transferred to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The driver pulled over right away to help and was not charged.
What this case shows
A video call pulls attention in two directions at once — the screen and the conversation. Agree that if a video call comes in while walking, your child stops to answer or calls back after arriving.
